Language is a strong emotion and Telangana knows it much better than anyone else given its role in the separate State agitation.
No wonder, IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao joined the fray in support of Malayali nurses in Delhi hospitals who have been directed by the Delhi government-run hospital not to converse in Malayalam but use English or Hindi. In a tweet, he described the directive as reeking of language chauvinism further adding that every Indian should have the right to converse in a language of their choice and no one should infringe on that basic right.
Concerns over 3rd wave of pandemic
After the first and second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials are apparently worried over the talk of the third wave.
Though there is still no confirmation of the sections which would be impacted in the third wave, the speculation that children would be affected is unnerving the Health Department machinery. The department is understood to have prepared a road map to combat the virus if it indeed strikes as third wave.
Several key aspects should be factored in for advance preparations to effectively combat the virus and these include continuance of measures for avoiding the spread of the virus, availability of beds, required quantum of oxygen supplies and others.
High hopes on lifting curbs during day time
With Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao convening a meeting of the State Council of Ministers on June 8, people are hopeful that the government will further relax the restrictions after June 9, the day when the current phase of the lockdown ends. The recent comments made by Minister K.T. Rama Rao on resumption of daily routine as soon as possible give credence to the speculation on lifting of the restrictions during the day time.
Several sections of people, especially businesses, are suffering on account of the restricted timings during which people are allowed on the roads. Given the government’s assertion that the case load had come down significantly as also the case positivity rate, hopes are high on easing the restrictions at least during the day time so that majority of activities continue as usual.
Lockdown lapses
The lapse of the latest spell of lockdown on June 9 is significant for one more reason. It was expected that the government will take a decision on conduct of Intermediate exams after that date.
The Intermediate board has already proposed to the government that it was willing to conduct the exams from July 15 in the hope that COVID spread will come down by then. But, the government was biding time though the CBSE exams were cancelled. It was studying the course that other State governments would take for their own board exams of plus two.
The decision on lockdown which would come at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday will probably have a bearing on conduct of exams in the State.
(R. Ravikanth Reddy, M. Rajeev
& N. Rahul)
